Gregoire wincqz and hubert maciiepy



(No Model.)

G. WINGQZ 8v H. MAOHBPY. HYDRAULIC LIFT.

No. 581,799. f Patented May 4, 1897.

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HYDRAU LIC LIFT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,7 99, dated May 4, 1897.

Application filed December 2, 1896. Serial No. 614.218. (No model.) Patented in Belgium October 28, 1896, No. 124,452.

To all wiz/m t may concern:

Be it known that we, GRGOIRE VINCQZ, a citizen of Belgium, and HUBERT MACHEPY, a citizen of France, residing at Soignies, Belgium, have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Lifts, (for which we have obtained a patent in Belgium, No. 124,452, dated October 2S, 1896;) and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invent-ion, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which forms a part of this specification.

Elevators, whether for the public or for merchandise, have heretofore generally been operated by mechanical instrumentalities, as by winch or steam or electrically or by means of simple or compound hydraulic pistons. An absolutely regular function is not attainable by the use of these mechanisms, because the precision of the function is dependent upon the arrangement of the mechanical appliances and upon the intelligence, attention, and care of the operator. In hydraulic elevators, on the other hand, a simple leakage may suffice to start the elevator without possibility of stopping` it.

"The object of our invention is to avoid these difficulties by the substitution for the niezhanical appliances of a hydrostatic balance device.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we will describe the same in detail in conjunction with the accompanying :lrawin g, which illustrates an elevator embodying our invention by a sectional more or less schematic elevation.

As shown in said drawing, a chain or cable B, running over the pulley C, has secured to )ne end the elevator cage or platform A and :o the other end a counterbalancing-weight D in a body of liquid, as water, contained .n a reservoir E, that is provided with a diszharge cock or valve S, means being provided 1o supply water to such reservoir, as from a valved pipe R, connected with a suitable source of water-supply, the arrangement beng such as to form a hydrostatic balance-- that is to say, the counterweight equilibrates or balances the weight of the cage or platform when the former is not completely immersed in the water, and therefore performs the function of a float, so to speak. If the weight of the load placed in the cage 0r on the platform A is less than that of the volume of water displaced by the counterweight D, it will simply be necessary to destroy the equilibrium of the hydrostatic balance by opening the stop-cock S of the reservoir E and allowing the water therein to flow out, when the balancing-weight will descend and the cage or platform ascend, the reverse being the case when water is again admitted to reservoir E through pipe R, the stop S being of course closed.

Although we have shown in the drawing a single cable or chain for the sake of simplicity, yet we desire it to be understood that differential or multiplying hoisting or power-transmitting appliances can be used with a view to reducing the height of the reservoir E, so that the speed of the cage or platform will be a multiple of the speed of the counterbalanceweight, as will be readily understood, and as these appliances do not per se form a part of our invention we have deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the same. So, also, will the number of pulleys C depend upon the uses or application of our invention, these pulleys acting simply as a means for transmitting the power utilized by the interruption of the equilibrium of the hydrostatic balance.

The power, as is readily seen, is a cheap one wherever a liquid of any kind is available, the installation is a simple and cheap one as compared with that for elevators now in general use, and the system is applicable to all purposes and practically in all locations, does not entail great expenditures in repairs, can be operated by any one of ordinary intelligence, while its perfect function is assured at all times.

The uniformity of the speed of the cage or platform is, as will also be readily understood, established by the hydrostatic equilibrium, so that a brake or other safety appliance, now absolutely indispensable, is not indispensable to the safe operation of elevators embodying our invention.

IOO

Having thus described our invention, what tween the Weight and cage or platform, and We Claim as new therein, and desire to secure suitable guide-pulleys for said rope, for the by Letters Patent, is purpose set forth.

' The Combination With the Cage or platform In testimony whereof We affix our signa- 5 of an elevator and a Vessel for containing a tures in presence of two Witnesses.

body of Water, of a eounterbalztncing-Weight GRGOIRE WINCQZ. freely suspended in such bod5T of Wateigmeans H. MACHEPY.

for Varying the Volume of Water in said Ves- Witnesses:

sel to Cause the count@balancing-Weight to C. DUMONT,

1o ascend or descend, and a rope connection be- J. CORBAIB. 

